Putin Snubs Trump’s Envoy? CIA Chief’s Secret Moscow Visit Sparks Question

Livemint

Published26 Aug 2026, 07:44 PM IST

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The Kremlin has rejected reports that President Vladimir Putin met CIA Director John Ratcliffe during Ratcliffe’s unannounced trip to Moscow. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no such meeting was scheduled and described the visit only as contacts between Russian and U.S. security services, without revealing the agenda or Ratcliffe’s interlocutors. The CIA declined public comment. The United States reportedly informed Kyiv of the senior delegation’s travel and requested a pause on long-range strikes around Moscow, St. Petersburg and some northern Russian regions during the visit; Ukrainian sources said Kyiv agreed.